The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes

Marcel Journet

(1867-1933), French bass from Grasse, made his
professional debut at the age of twenty-four. After extensive experiences at La
Monnaie in Brussels and Covent Garden, he arrived at the Met on January 22,
1900, as Ramfis, in the same performance of Aida in
which Louise Homer made her debut. Younger than Edouard De Reszke and Pol
Plançon, who were also on the roster, Journet was at the bottom of the
bass pay scale. In 1900-01, De Reszke sang sixty-three performances for
$40,032, Plançon forty-seven for $26,084, and Journet
fifty-nine plus one concert for $4,671.93. When Plançon did not
return in 1901-02, Journet was assigned more important roles, performing
Méphistophélès, Escamillo, the Comte des Grieux in
Manon, Frère Laurent and Capulet in
Roméo, St. Bris and Marcel in Huguenots. Ramfis and the King in Aida,
Myrtille Olympias in Messaline, Lodovico in
Otello, and the Comte De Gormas in Le Cid. That season, Journet received $5,998.50 for seventy
performances (sixty-seven in opera, two on Sunday nights, and one outside).
Journet remained at the Met for eight seasons, leaving when Giulio
Gatti-Casazza became general manager in 1908.